Hair Loss

Understanding Hair Loss

It is normal to lose some hair every day. Most medical studies show that losing up to 100 strands of hair a day is considered normal. Cases where daily hair loss can exceed this, or if you have a family history of hair loss, though, can become problematic.

Consistent and excessive hair loss can leave you with bald spots if you are a man, or thinning hair on top of your head if you are a woman. While many people, from both genders, can suffer from this type of hair loss by the age of 50, there are also many cases of this disorder surfacing in patients who are much younger. Let’s look at this disorder in some more detail.

Causes Of Hair Loss:

Hair loss causes can be triggered by a number of factors, which can include inherited genetics, disease, stress, medicines, injury, ageing or lack of proper hair care. A detailed look into these cases reveal that:

Inherited Hair Loss:

Genetics is one of the leading causes of hair loss, which is inherited either from one or both of your parents. This type of hair loss is called male-pattern hair loss or female-pattern hair loss or androgenetic alopecia.

This inherited disorder causes a sensitivity in a class of hormones called androgens, which also include testosterone, which causes your hair follicles to shrink. This, in turn, produces thinner hair, and eventually none at all. While men develop bald spots on the forehead area, or on the top of the head, women are often faced with thinning hair on top of the head.

Age: As we grow older, our hair tends to break far more easily, and our hair follicles do not grow as much hair to replace the loss.

Mental, emotional or physical stress:Recent surgery, illness or high fever can also cause substantial hair loss. In most cases, though, your hair will grow back after a few months.

Hair styling & products:Styles that result in your hair being pulled back too tightly can lead to hair loss.

Poor Nutrition:Lack of protein or iron in the diet can also cause hair loss.

Ringworm of the scalp:This condition is most common in children.

Diseases:Disorders like Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Alopecia Areata, Lupus, Syphilis, cancer or side effects of a medicine or medical treatment can also cause hair loss.

Injury To The Scalp:Scarring or excessive injury can also cause hair loss

Hormonal Changes:Childbirth, taking birth control pills, or changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle can also cause hair loss

Symptoms Of Hair Loss:

Hair loss can either occur as a gradual thinning out, in which you may not notice your hair falling, or as shedding, where clumps of hair can be seen falling out. The main symptom of inherited hair loss in men is seen as hair loss either on the front hairline and forehead, as well as on the top of the head. Women with this condition, on the other hand, experience gradual thinning of hair throughout the scalp, but mostly on the top of the head. Other causes of hair loss may have distinct patterns as well. Most conditions that cause this disorder result in obvious patches of hair loss, while stress and other medicines can result in clumps of hair falling out.

Treatment of Hair Loss:

Treatment of hair loss will vary basis the cause of the disorder. While some choose to treat hair loss with medicine or hair transplant surgery, other choose to wear hairpieces or different methods of hair styling. Let’s look at the most common ones in a little more detail:

Inherited Hair Loss: this form of hair loss treatment aims to prevent hair loss, encourage growth and help cover bald areas on the scalp. Medication for this can include Minoxidil or Finasteride.

Surgery: This form of hair loss treatment will include hair transplant, as well as procedures such as scalp reduction or scalp flaps.

Wigs or Hairpieces: Some people elect to try this, as an alternative to medical treatment. Hairpieces can be used to cover either permanent or temporary hair loss.